A BRAVE Basingstoke girl who was given the all-clear from cancer has died from health complications.

The family of Rae Foster have paid tribute to the four-year-old who “was always smiling and never complained”.

As previously reported in The Gazette, Rae was diagnosed with Leukaemia when she was a baby but in May 2019, went into remission.

Unfortunately, she caught coronavirus a year later. She beat the illness but tragically came down with lung infections and pneumonia before passing away on August 16, 2020.

Her mother Aimee said: “As a household we had been shielding for 12 weeks. Rae never went anywhere apart from having to go to an appointment at Southampton hospital.

“When she fell ill on July 27, we thought she would only be in hospital for a few days.

“They bluelighted her down from Basingstoke to Southampton and she was put on a ventilator to help her breathe.

“She went into paediatric acute distress syndrome where the lungs are too inflamed to work. The doctors tried absolutely everything but nothing worked because she had a compromised immune system.

“Due to coronavirus, she wasn't able to produce antibodies.”

The mother of four said: “It all went a bit crazy on the night that she passed away. We got a phone call at six to say she was going downhill. We rushed up there to the ward and we were told there was nothing more they could do.”

Rae died just weeks after her parents Aimee and David welcomed her little sister Olivia into the world on July 1.

Aimee said: “Rae really wanted a little sister, she didn't want any more brothers. They only managed to spend a total of four days together. She was very excited about Olivia.”

The stay-at-home mum said Rae's brothers Riley, 16, Aidan, ten and Noah, seven, all miss their little sister.

Aimee said: “They all really miss her and talk about her all the time but they are coping well.”

A funeral for Rae took place at Basingstoke Crematorium on Tuesday, September 1, where due to coronavirus restrictions, only 30 guests were allowed to attend.

But neighbours on the family’s street in Chiltern Way in Buckskin tied pink balloons and lined up when the procession went past.

The ceremony played Rae’s favourite songs from Frozen, Finding Dory and Coco.

Paying tribute to Rae, Aimee said: “She was really inspiring. She would smile and laugh constantly and would never complain. Most children would play up if they had to keep going back into hospital but she never did. She would just clap her hands and get excited about seeing her favourite nurses.

“She was so brave all the time, no matter what she was going through she would just smile and get on with it.”

Aimee said she wanted to extend her thanks to the “amazing” nurses at Southampton hospital who treated Rae and to the public for supporting Rae through fundraising efforts.

She said: “From the bottom of my heart, we are really grateful to all the people who have taken the time and effort to support us all at this time and by being there for Rae. It’s been overwhelming that so many people have been so kind.”